Safety closures on bottles and other types of containers are intended to prevent young children from readily gaining access to potentially hazardous contents of the containers. In the pharmaceutical field, for example, the use of child safety caps on drug containers is quite extensive.
A common type of safety closure requires that a downward pressure be applied to the cap while, simultaneously, twisting the same. The primary deficiency with safety closures of this type is that they are difficult for the elderly and the infirm to operate. In particular, persons who suffer from arthritis have difficulty grasping the cap and twisting with downward pressure.
Another common safety closure requires rotating the cap until it is aligned with a particular point on the container, where it can then be pushed off the container with the thumb. This procedure is difficult for persons with diminished vision or impaired dexterity.
Packaging which is intended to be easily opened by the arthritic or infirm further exacerbates the problem. U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,225 discloses a container and cap assembly which provides for relatively easy removal of the cap by persons with impaired dexterity. The cap and container have threads arranged to permit complete engagement and disengagement of the cap with only a 90.degree. twist. The cap includes a large planar handle which extends vertically upward. The handle is simpler to grasp and provides more leverage then the cap itself, thereby providing persons with arthritic conditions an easier mechanism for opening the container. The handle also has a hole therethrough permitting a pencil to be inserted and used as a lever, if needed, for increased torque. Unfortunately, the handle not only makes the container just as easy for young children to open, it also makes the container more appealing as a play object and attracts the child to turn the handle.
A need therefore exists for a container with a safety cap which provides for ease of removal of the cap yet minimizes the ability of a child to readily gain access to the contents of the container.